I__. - International Military Testing Association

---_l_ ~..__. --. -- .- -
From these types OE ‘Looper Eormance curves, one can determine feasible
combinations of personnel, training, and equipment. features for any specified
level of des’ired performance. In addition, one can rule 011 t various
combinations if there are constraints, Eor example, on personnel availability
or training time.
Isoperformance as a Computerized Program*
An interactive, expert decision aid has been developed to quantify the
trade-off methodology implicit in the Isoperformance approach. The
computer-based “smart m system is intended to aid in decisionmaking by
mechanizing the trade-offs between human (aptitude, training > and equipment
variations in order to achieve the same (Iso) system performance outcome. The
Isoperformance core subprogram is composed of four phases, Specification, -
Input , Verification, and Output.
Specification, the first phase of the Isoperformance program, requires the
user to state the problem, in effect, by specifying:
(1) the system under study,
(2) what is meant by “proficient performance”,
(3) the aptitude dimension to be used,
(4) how that dimension, is to be divided into ranges or “personnel”
categories, and
(5) the maximum amount of training to be considered.
These specifications are purely descriptive and no relationships have to be
estimated.
Input, the second phase, asks that, for each personnel category, the user
estimate:
(1) the minimum training time necessary Eor people in that category to
become proficient in terms of number of weeks and
(2) the proportion of persons in the category who are expected to become
proficient given the maximum training time.
The program works by receiving input from the user 2-3 estimates as needed
for each aptitude category. The estimates can come Erom any reliable source
(e.g., simulators, extrapolations from related tasks, etc.>. Estimations are
planned for because it is expected that the data required are not readily
available at the present time. However, the input can also be data from
technical data banks iE available.
In the third stage, Verification, the Isoperformance program checks to
make sure that input estimates are “reasonable.” These checks are conducted
whether the input data are “estimates” or actual data Erom a data base or
experiment. There are three types of checks on user estimates: (a) formal,
*Copies oE a demonstration disc are available Erom R. S. Kennedy, Essex
Corporat ion, 1040 Woodcock Road, #227, Orlando, FL 32803